One is a Lonely Number
by Nicole08
Summary: "Not too many people could ever know what it was like to be her and have her powers, but maybe, somehow, someway Gambit could relate."


_Summary: "_Not too many people could ever know what it was like to be her and have her powers, but maybe, somehow, someway Gambit could relate."

_Disclaimer: X-Men belongs to Marvel, Stan Lee and the other creators._

_Authors Note: Just a short piece about Rogue's feelings of solitude and loneliness. At some point in our lives I think we've all faced a bit of loneliness, so it's always nice when you connect with a person who gets you and appreciates you, and it's even better when you come to call that person friend. Please let me know what you think. Enjoy!_

**One is a Lonely Number**

By: Nicole

She hid in the shadows like a diseased leper who was shunned from society and denied healthy human contact. The dark light cloaked her fears and apprehensions as she stood almost motionless in her rooted spot. The shadow that held her captive also shadowed her true feelings from the world. The girl who stood alone was not well known among her peers. She was assumed to be a loner who kept to herself and very little effort was made to prove otherwise. If it weren't for the X-men, then the girl with the white streak in her hair would have truly been alone in the world.

At the sound of footsteps she tensed. The three boys armed with bookbags and a basketball walked right past her, further proving her invisibility factor to be working. The sound of merriment and friendly conversations seemed to be immune to her. People assumed she wasn't capable of friendly dialogue and didn't take any efforts to disprove the theory. Based on her manner of dress and lack of communication in class, they saw no point to talking to the out of place girl.

She glanced at her watch and frowned. Stuffing her hand in the side pocket of her bag she pulled out a slip of folded paper. Unfolding the note she read its contents for the third time that day: _"Rogue, I know what it is you're looking for. Meet me near the old warehouses today at 4 o' clock."_

The letter was ominous to say the least. She found it quite confusing at first and then intriguing. She had not recognized the handwriting of the note but was extremely baffled that someone snuck it into her locker. Her locker was nearly impossible to open even when one possessed the combination. Being the new kid in the school unfortunately meant you got the lousiest locker that was no doubt left over as diner scraps that no one wanted.

And then there was the nature as to the content of the note. _I know what it is you're looking for. _She wasn't looking for anything. She wasn't even looking to fit in, because of course she knew that wasn't possible. No one could understand what it felt like to be isolated and to never be able to get close to another human being (that is without sucking the life out of them.) The only thing she was looking for was to be left alone. She was used to it by now, and quite honestly she was fine with it. She had learned to accept the fact that she would ultimately always be alone.

So why was she here near the old warehouses? Curiosity can be a powerful enemy. And it's not like she had anything better to do. If not here, she would have been wandering around the mansion or alone shut up in her room. Neither option sounded very appealing at the moment. But it was almost 4:10pm and the mystery person had yet to make their presence known. She decided to wait five more minutes and then would revert back to the options that hadn't looked so appealing.

She saw a tall figure approaching from the distance. Once she recognized him she unconsciously took another step backwards to hide herself even more in the shadows. There was something about Gambit that always managed to get her unwound and nervous. Her stomach started churning whenever he was in her presence. He sometimes would look at her a certain way that made it seem like he was saying, "not only am I not afraid to touch you but I really want to touch you!" That was a very frightening and powerful feeling.

It suddenly hit her like a ton of bricks; he was the mysterious author of the note. How could she not have known! Of course it was Gambit! No one else would have taken the time and energy to not only write a note to her but to sneak it into her locker. He was a thief after all and a very skilled one to say the least. Her and the rest of the young X-Men had already had one too many dealings with Gambit and the band of Alcolytes. They weren't necessarily harmless, but could definitely be a handful; especially Gambit.

As he neared her she held her breath. How in the world did she find herself in this predicament she wondered to herself. Being alone in Gambit's presence wasn't necessarily on her to do list at the moment. But it was too late for that now.

"Why are you hiding in the shadows there chere?" His voice was sultry and smooth with a hint of Cajun spice.

She was silent. Perhaps he would get the point that she didn't want to be bothered with him right now. This had been a mistake; Gambit would only get her all unnerved, which is something that only he had the power to do. Why is that she wondered.

"So you're not talking to me Rogue? Well, at least I see that you got my note." He smiled, "I see you couldn't resist the temptation of being in my presence."

More appalled then shocked at what he said, anger forced her to speak. "Why you arrogant, cocky Cajun! In no way did I want to be in your presence, I didn't even know that you wrote the note, but had I known I would not have come here. Your presence is not something I want to be apart of."

He stood unaffected with that same smile plastered on his face, uninterrupted and undeterred. "You wound me cherie, but it's okay. I know you don't really mean it."

Rogue let out a frustrated sigh. Gambit would always find a way to get her worked up, one way or another. It seemed as if his goal in life was to aggravate her and make her come undone all at the same time. She always either wanted to sock him or run from him. Those were the only two options he presented her with every encounter.

"Okay rogue, let's start over and let's get down to the reason why you're here." He had her interest. She tried to calm down and allow herself to listen to what he had to say. "I knew you would respond to that note, just as I know how you feel. No one gets you Rogue. No one at your school, not any of the X-men, but I do. I understand you more then you know. I know exactly what it is that you're looking for." During his speech he had taken a few steps closer to her so now he stood only an arms length away.

Rogue had been so wrapped up into what he was saying that she hadn't quite realized how very close they were becoming. She was trying to figure him out, trying to decide how she felt about what he was saying. How could he possibly understand anything about her and her feelings? No one could. Not really anyway. The professor had been the only one who had any type of clue, but no one could truly know what it was like to feel the things that she felt. No one.

"You don't believe me, do you chere? But it's true. He was now close enough to her that he could reach out and graze her check. "I know that you feel as if you're all alone in the world. I know that you feel as though you're invisible and absent. It's as if you're out of the line of vision of most people and you feel like you are out of sight and hidden from most of the world. I can see it in your eyes, Cherie. I can tell it by your stance. You think that you're alone."

Rogue let out a slow ragged breath. Her heart was beating very fast as she not only realized how close Gambit was standing to her, but also as if she had suddenly been stripped naked and put on display in front of a crowd of people. She needed some type of shielding, some type of covering. No one was supposed to see her fears, her weakness, her insecurities. She couldn't let Gambit know the truth. And she was angry at him for not only seeing it but also verbalizing it as well. She placed her hands firmly on his chest and shoved with all her might. A surprised Gambit nearly lost his balance as he stumbled backwards.

Rogue could feel angry tears coming to her eyes, "you don't know what you're talking about. And don't ever put another note in my locker again!" She swiped her bag up from the ground and turned to run off, when a strong hand caught her arm.

"Let me go Gambit!" She struggled against him and attempted to sock him with her free balled up fist, but he was too fast. He had her by both arms, "I can't do that Rogue, not until I'm finished!" But his words did not calm her down nor make her cease her struggles. She fought like a wild cat caught in a trap as they both fell to the ground, with Gambit still having a strong hold on her.

An onlooker would have been alarmed seeing two teenagers of opposite sex on the ground with the male pinning down a female who was making a clear demonstration of her undesire of the position she was in. But no onlookers passed by to witness the grappling pair.

Gambit was tired of Rogue's non compliance. He tightened his hold on her arms, knowingly causing her pain. "Enough Rogue! You have to listen to me. Please." Rogue was flustered; even the tips of her ears had turned red. Her hair was disheveled as strains were all over her face, and her shirt had risen up, exposing her belly button. But she slowly began to calm down and stopped her struggles. It was something about the way he said, 'please' and the look in his eyes. It was a soft, caring look, a look that was not associated with Gambit. He was pleading with her to hear him out the rest of the way. She at least could do that; give him a chance to finish before and then she could react.

He loosened his grip, releasing her arms and sliding from across her body. He sat up next to her and slowly ran a hand through his hair. Rogue sat up as well and sat cross legged on the grass next to Gambit as she caught her breath and waited for him to finish.

They sat there for a full minute just starring at each other. Gambit was trying to get the words right in his head while also giving Rogue time to relax and soothe her nerves. He had to get this right.

"I've been alone most of my life" he started. "When I was younger I had to learn the streets and survive on my own. People took me in along the way, and I eventually found myself with the Alcolytes, but it still feels the same as when I was younger. Even if I'm in a room with a crowd of people I feel like I'm the only person there. It's hard to describe, but I think you can relate to what I'm saying. I've been observing you for quite some time Rogue and I can actually identify with you on a lot of things. I wanted to tell you this because I thought it may make it easier for you. Knowing that someone sees what you're going through and has been through it themselves seems to make it easier to bear. I just wanted to tell you that. I wanted you to know."

Gambit looked away, breaking her eye contact since they had first stopped fighting. He kept his gaze on one of the old, decrepit warehouse buildings, giving her time to digest everything he had said.

Rogue starred at Gambit's profile, wondering if she had heard him right. Prior to this day she thought she had known Gambit. Her perception of him had been pretty dismal and low. His character had seemed uncaring and aloof. He was one of the bad guys for goodness sake. But now… now everything had changed. The picture she had painted of him had now been shattered and the pieces blown away in the wind. The person that sat before her was not the Gambit that she had known; or rather thought she had known. The person beside her was kind, helpful and seemed to be just as lonely as her. For the first time since she had started at her new school she had found someone that had intrigued her; someone that she wanted to know more about, someone that she wanted to get to know. She only had one question that he didn't answer.:

"So you never said what it is that I'm looking for."

Gambit turned his eyes to her and gave her a slight smile. "A friend." He hesitated, "I would like to be your friend Rogue."

Rogue smiled. Receiving that note had been the second best thing that had happened to her today. She knew that she would keep it and put in the bottom of her drawer when she got back to her room today. But the best part of her day today was this moment, the moment that she found someone whom she connected with in this new place; and perhaps someone that she would connect with better than anyone in her life. Not too many people could ever know what it was like to be her and have her powers, but maybe, somehow, someway Gambit could relate. But one thing she did know, she wouldn't feel like she was alone anymore.

She smiled at her future friend, "Sounds good to me."

The End

_Thanks for reading_


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